FACE TIME

Swimming With Sharks

April 16, 2006|By Jessica Reaves

Lise Christopher and Heather Thomas, Shedd Aquarium shark experts, would like to exorcise the "Jaws" theme song from the collective subconscious. That's probably not going to happen, so Christopher, the "Wild Reef" collection manager, and Thomas, an aquarist, will settle for spreading the (good) news about their favorite sea creatures. Join us as they defend their shark friends, debunking those nasty "maneater" rumors and arguing that some jellyfish are actually more frightening than sharks. Yeah, we're not buying it either . . .

Q: OK, this is your big chance to do some positive PR work for the sharks: What's the most common misconception about these animals?

Heather Thomas: That they're "killing machines." Here at Shedd we enjoy challenging that idea, giving our guests the opportunity to see us working with and diving with the animals.

Q: "Jaws," the movie: Love it or hate it?

LC: A little bit of both. I enjoyed watching it for its entertainment value, but I think it created more misconceptions about shark behavior than anything else I can think of.

Q: Let's say I'm swimming in the ocean. What is the worst possible sea-creature sighting?

HT: I know you'd probably like for me to say a shark, but since I'm pretty comfortable around sharks I would be a lot more frightened if I saw a box jelly, which are known to be deadly.

Q: Do some sharks enjoy people's company, or are they inherently anti-social creatures? How about marine biologists-would you rather be around people, sharks, or on your own?

HT: Well, sharks have a very sophisticated social structure and in the wild some are schooling creatures while others lead a more solitary existence. Personally, I always enjoy being around sharks.

Q. If sharks suddenly gained the ability to talk to us, what's the first thing they would say?

LC: The sharks we work with would probably say, "Feed me!" But I imagine sharks in the wild might say, "Stop killing me." Believe it or not, there are several species of shark whose populations are in danger because of over-harvesting.

Q: Do you have a favorite shark among the ones you work with?

LC: It's hard to choose just one, but I'd have to say Seymour, one of our zebra sharks. If any shark has a personality, this one definitely does. When I'm diving in the shark exhibit he likes to come up and sit on my head, which I think is pretty funny.

HT: I like Seymour, too, because he acts like a puppy dog and is always begging for food. Besides our sharks, I really enjoy working with Ginsu, our sawfish. I especially like feeding her, although it can be dangerous trying to avoid her 4-foot-long razor-sharp bill.

Q: Did the movie "Finding Nemo" make your life infinitely less pleasant?

LC: Well, since the "Wild Reef" exhibit houses both Nemo fish and Dory fish, our staff spends a lot of time pointing them out.

Q. Do you know any good shark jokes?

HT: Do you know why sharks are so smart? 'Cause they live in schools. I know that's pretty lame, but it's all I've got.